Ezekiel 16:26

26 You played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger.

Ezekiel 16:26 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 16:26

Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians
By entering into leagues and alliances with them, and seeking to them for help and assistance against their enemies; from whose bondage they had formerly been delivered, and whose society they were cautioned against; and yet they forsook the Lord, and joined themselves to them by solemn covenant; and not only so, but fell into the worship of their idols, who were a people of all others the most superstitious, and given to idolatry; and many of their idolatrous rites and ceremonies were received and retained by the Jews, as the worshipping of Tammuz, and other idols: thy neighbours, great of flesh:
being their neighbours, and full of power and strength to assist them, they courted their friendship and alliance; and their idolatries being many and monstrous, were the more courted by them: the allusion is to women of shameless impudence and insatiable lust, who covet men, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and their issue as horses, ( Ezekiel 23:20 ) ; flesh here signifies the privy parts of men; so Ben Melech; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke my anger;
multiplied their idolatries, which they learned of the Egyptians, a people much given thereunto; and which were abominable and highly provoking to God, ( 1 Peter 4:3 ) . The Targum is,

``thou hast increased thine idols.''

Ezekiel 16:26 In-Context

24 you built yourself a platform and made yourself a lofty place in every square;
25 at the head of every street you built your lofty place and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to every passer-by, and multiplying your whoring.
26 You played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger.
27 Therefore I stretched out my hand against you, reduced your rations, and gave you up to the will of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior.
28 You played the whore with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.